Vivekachudamani – Means of Wisdom – Verses 8-13   «   »

Vivekachudamani – Means of Wisdom – Verses 8-13   «   »

अतो विमुक्त्यै प्रयतेत्विद्वान्
संन्यस्तबाह्यार्थसुखस्पृहः सन् ।
सन्तं महान्तं समुपेत्य देशिकं
तेनोपदिष्टार्थसमाहितात्मा ॥ ८ ॥
ato vimuktyai prayatetvidvān
saṃnyastabāhyārthasukhaspṛhaḥ san |
santaṃ mahāntaṃ samupetya deśikaṃ
tenopadiṣṭārthasamāhitātmā || 8 ||
8. Therefore the man of learning should strive his best for Liberation, having renounced his desire for pleasures from external objects, duly approaching a good and generous preceptor, and fixing his mind on the truth inculcated by him.
Notes: Duly—i. e. according to the prescribed mode. (Vide Mundaka 1. ii. 12). The characteristics of a qualified Guru are given later on in sloka 33.
उद्धरेदात्मनात्मानं मग्नं संसारवारिधौ ।
योगारूढत्वमासाद्य सम्यग्दर्शननिष्ठया ॥ ९ ॥
uddharedātmanātmānaṃ magnaṃ saṃsāravāridhau |
yogārūḍhatvamāsādya samyagdarśananiṣṭhayā || 9 ||
9. Having attained the Yogārūḍha state, one should recover oneself, immersed in the sea of birth and death by means of devotion to right discrimination.
Notes: Yogárudha state—Described in Gita VI. 4.—“When one is attached neither to sense-objects nor to actions, and has given up all desires, then he is said to be Yogárudha or to have ascended the Yoga-path.”
संन्यस्य सर्वकर्माणि भवबन्धविमुक्तये ।
यत्यतां पण्डितैर्धीरैरात्माभ्यास उपस्थितैः ॥ १0 ॥
saṃnyasya sarvakarmāṇi bhavabandhavimuktaye |
yatyatāṃ paṇḍitairdhīrairātmābhyāsa upasthitaiḥ || 10 ||
10. Let the wise and erudite man, having commenced the practice of the realisation of the Ātman give up all works and try to cut loose the bonds of birth and death.
Notes: All works—only Sakáma-Karma or works performed with a view to gaining more sense-enjoyment are meant, not selfless work.
चित्तस्य शुद्धये कर्म न तु वस्तूपलब्धये ।
वस्तुसिद्धिर्विचारेण न किंचित्कर्मकोटिभिः ॥ ११ ॥
cittasya śuddhaye karma na tu vastūpalabdhaye |
vastusiddhirvicāreṇa na kiṃcitkarmakoṭibhiḥ || 11 ||
11. Work leads to purification of the mind, not to perception of the Reality. The realisation of Truth is brought about by discrimination and not in the least by ten million of acts.
Notes: The idea is, that works properly done cleanse the mind of its impurities, when the Truth flashes of itself.
सम्यग्विचारतः सिद्धा रज्जुतत्त्वावधारणा ।
भ्रान्तोदितमहासर्पभयदुःखविनाशिनी ॥ १२ ॥
samyagvicārataḥ siddhā rajjutattvāvadhāraṇā |
bhrāntoditamahāsarpabhayaduḥkhavināśinī || 12 ||
12. By adequate reasoning the conviction of the reality about the rope is gained, which puts an end to the great fear and misery caused by the snake worked up in the deluded mind.
Notes: Reality of the rope—i. e. that it is a rope and not a snake, for which it was mistaken.
अर्थस्य निश्चयो दृष्टो विचारेण हितोक्तितः ।
न स्नानेन न दानेन प्राणायमशतेन वा ॥ १३ ॥
arthasya niścayo dṛṣṭo vicāreṇa hitoktitaḥ |
na snānena na dānena prāṇāyamaśatena vā || 13 ||
13. The conviction of the Truth is seen to proceed from reasoning upon the salutary counsel of the wise, and not by bathing in the sacred waters, nor by gifts, nor by hundreds of Prāṇāyāmas (control of the vital force).
Notes: The wise—men of realisation.

Vivekachudamani – Introduction
1: Devoted Dedication
2: Glory of Spiritual Life
3: Unique Graces in Life
4-7: Miseries of The Unspiritual Man
8-13: Means of Wisdom
14-17: The Fit Student
18-30: The Four Qualifications
31: Bhakti – Firm and Deep
32-40: Courtesy of Approach and Questioning
41-47: Loving Advice of the Guru
48-49: Questions of the Disciple
50: Intelligent Disciple – Appreciated
51-55: Glory of Self-Effort
56-61: Knowledge of the Self-Its Beauty
62-66: Direct Experience – Liberation
67-71: Discussion on Questions Raised
72-75: Gross Body
76-82: Sense Objects a Trap – Man Bound
83-86: Fascination for Body Criticised
87-91: Gross Body Condemned
92: Organs of Perception and Action
93-94: Inner Instruments
95: The Five Pranas
96-101: Subtle Body – Effects
102: Functions of Prāna
103-105: Ego Discussed
106-107: Infinite Love – the Self
108-110: Māyā – Pointed Out
111-112: Rajoguņa – Nature and Effects
113-116: Tamoguņa – Nature and Effects
117-119: Sattvaguņa – Nature and Effects
120-121: The Causal Body – Its Nature
122-123: Not-Self – Description
124-135: The Self – Its Nature
136: Advice for Self-control
137-142: What is Bondage – The Reply
143-144: The Powers – Agitation and Veiling
145-146: Bondage in Action
147-153: Ātman and Anātman – Discrimination
Negation of the Kośas
154-164: – Annamaya kośa (Food sheath)
165-166: – Prņamaya kośa (Vital air sheath)
167-183: – Manomaya kosa (Mental sheath)
184-188: – Vijnanamaya kośa (Intellectual sheath)
189-191: Ātman – Unattached
192-193: What is Liberation? – Disciple
194-206: Self-Knowledge gives Liberation
207-210: Anandamaya kośa (Bliss sheath)
211: Ātman – Other than the Five Kośas
212: What is Ātman? – Disciple
213-225: Nature of the Self – Discussion
226-236: All Manifestation Absolute
237-240: Brahman – Its Nature
241-249: That Thou Art – Explanation
250-253: Attitude in Meditation
254-266: Aids to Meditation
267-276: Give up Vāsanās – the Method
277-292: End Superimposition – The Means
293-297: The Perceived I’ Factor – False
298-309: Condemnation of the Ego
310-319: Actions, Thoughts and Vāsanās – Renounce
320-329: Total Vigilance – Its Price
330-338: In the One, No Plurality
339-348: Spiritual Growth – the Secret
349-353: Cause-Effect – False
354-372: Samadhi – Its Nature
373-378: Fully Detached – Samadhi Easy
379-383: Meditation – the Technique
384-397: Continuous Attention to Self
398-406: No Diversity in Reality
407-413: Ātma-vicāra – Contemplation
414-418: Give up Perceptions
419-425: The Science of Reality – Its Benefits
426-445: Signs of a Realised Seer
446-464: Prārabdha for a Saint
465-471: There is No Plurality
472-479: Experience of Selfhood
480-520: Practice of Knowledge – Disciple
521-575: Final Words of Advice
576-578: Blessed Disciple Liberated
579-581: The Glory of the Textbook

Sri Adi Sankaracharya

Links
Sri Adi Sankaracharya’s Vivekachudamani – Commentary by Swami Chinmayananda
Transcript of Swami Paramarthananda’s classes on Vivekachudamani

Vivekachudamani – Verses 8-13 – Vivekachudamani Verses 8-13 – By Adi Sankaracharya – In Sanskrit with English Meaning, Transliteration, Translation, Commenary, Lyrics, Audio – Vivekachudamani-8-13